For tonight's movie, we began with an idea.
Murders often happen in unusual places,
in bizarre situations:
hermetically sealed rooms, crowded public places
In our film
a murder happens in a tram in front of everyone,
No one notices anything. How come?
Watch the movie, pay close attention to the investigation,
to how certain faces reappear,
to how what seemed impossible... really isn't impossible at all.
In charge of the investigation, Enzo Cerusico as Detective Giordani.
THE TRAM
Oh my God!
Detective Gordani! - Yes?
I've got the stats. Her name was Monica Rini, 27 years old.
She lived alone, her parents lived in the countryside.
She worked in the third shift at the Molani factory.
She got out at 1 a.m. every night and always took this tram at about
ten past from Piazza Roma.
She always got out at the second to last stop.
But not last night.
Inspector! I found them!
Come, get on!
Good morning, Giordani.
Roberto Magli. The ticket collector.
Prioretti. - The driver.
Sorry. Forgot you can't smoke in here.
Oh, only during service hours. Now you can.
Oh, good. Would you like one? - No, thanks.
You? - Yes, thanks.
So. Did you see the body?
Yes. - Yes, just now. He showed it to us.
Did you know her? - I've never seen her.
But you don't really pay attention to the passengers when you're driving.
Me? I recognized her. The little blond who took this tram every night.
At night there's only a few passengers
so it's easy to remember the ones who come all the time.
I even talked to her a couple of times.
And last night? Weren't you both at the back of the tram last night?
What happened?
The usual: A few passengers, nothing weird.
Did you see her get off?
I don't remember. I wasn't paying attention.
How come?
How was there "nothing strange"?
Guys. They stabbed a girl to death in here.
They stuffed her under the seat!
You must have seen something, a fight, an argument, nothing?
No, I tell you that nothing happened.
After the last stop, the tram was empty. We drove to the deposit here.
That's it.
So you're willing to testify that no crime occurred.
That in any case, there was nothing strange, or out of the ordinary?
Okay, thank you, goodbye.
Romani, make two copies of this!
Now we're making good...
The question isn't just “Who killed her?”. There's others.
How did they kill her? How did she end up under that seat?
How did they manage to kill her in a tram?
In front of the collector, in front of the passengers, how?
She could have gotten here later.
A date, at 1 a.m.? At the bus deposit?
And out of all the vehicles, she chooses the very one she just used last?
Well yes, it could be.
Hmm, right. I hadn't thought of that.
And Morini... Go to hell!
This murder is impossible.
They kill her for everyone to see,
and nobody does.
What are you gonna do?
What am I supposed to do? Beat my brain in!
It just had to happen now! Just as my career's taking off.
Try to take it easy.
Think about it, maybe something will come up.
What do you think I've been doing?
I even asked the press for help,
to try and get in touch with last night's passengers.
Maybe they know something.
Don't worry yourself.
You seem so tired, sleepy.
Have some sleep! - Sleep?
I wish I could sleep!
Police appeals to the residency
Good morning. - Good morning.
Inspector? - Yes?
People are starting to call in.
HOW many?
Four for now. Good, good work.
Inspector, big news. - What?
We've got the killer.
What do you say, Morini?
Yes, a guy just walked in and confessed,
that he killed Monica Rini.
Look, if this is a joke, Morini... - No, Inspector, no joke!
I'm Detective Giordani.
So. Tell me everything. From A to Z.
I already told the others.
And now you'll repeat it to me.
I killed the blonde the other night.
And why did you do it?
Just because.
On a whim!
On a whim?
Oh, she sure ain't the first either.
Really? - Really!
I've already killed fourteen.
Well, whaddaya know...
Her, I saw her on the tram.
I stabbed her eight times.
Well!
Six times?
Three?
One! One time!
One time! But it was really strong!
Because, you see Inspector... - Yes?
I'm really strong! - Really?
I have a squeeze that kills!
You? - Yes, why you
Of course I do! - No!
You don't believe me! - We do believe you!
No, you don't!
Give me your hand and feel for yourself.
Come on, I believe you. - Give me your hand!
Feel that squeeze?
Geez, that hurts...
Well? - Well what?
Aren't you going to arrest me? - Sure, sure, relax, there's no rush.
No! You don't believe me!
If I say I believe you, I believe you. - No, you don't believe me.
I understand...! - Will you calm down?
...calm down!
No, you don't believe me.
You think I'm too skinny?
Call the psych ward.
And if I was tall, and heavy? Then you'd believe me. You racist!
You dirty racist!
Ah, Morini. - Yes.
If I could kill you...
Okay. Let's start with you?
I got off in Via Corvino, four stops before the end of the line.
And you ma'am?
What? - When did you get off?
You.re so Yo un 9!
Well, where did you get off?
I got off one Stop later.
I was going to see a patient,
Colonel Moriggi, do you know him? - No.
I must admit, I noticed that blonde.
And nobody noticed anything unusual?
Hello.
Sure. Of course I'll come.
Excuse me a minute.
Rovetti, Marco. Pleased to meet you.
Giordani. Well?
I knew Monica Rini well.
We both did the night shift, at the Molani factory,
We always took the same tram together.
I'd get off two Stops before her.
And that night, the 25th?
We took the tram together as usual.
And was there anything unusual?
No, nothing.
The girl? Was she upset?
No. She was calm.
We chatted about a lot of things.
About my kids, my kids' school, my wife.
Oh, and about her wanting to change apartment.
She must have talked to someone else?
While I was on the tram, no.
We sat next to each other until I got off.
Actually,
the only person she talked to was the ticket collector.
He recognized her, so he said hi. He always does
that same line, at the same time, so we all know him.
Listen, Rovetti, would you help us do a test?
Of course, anything I could do! You know, Inspector,
it's a small factory, and we're all shocked and upset about what happened.
In our factory everybody knows the other.
And Monica was so nice and sweet.
Okay, okay. - You have to find whoever did that to her...
Yes, of course.
Are we ready? - Everyone's here, including the photographer.
Right. Now, this is really very simple.
With your collaboration we are going to try and reconstruct
Monica's last trip on this tram.
The trip we're sure the murder took place on.
Each of you are kindly requested to indicate when you got on,
when off, and where you sat.
And anything else that comes to mind. Alright then, can we start?
I'm afraid!
No need to worry, ma'am. It's just a reconstruction.
Well? - Of course!
Come, shall we, Mr. Prioretti and Mr. Magli? Magli, come on! Let's go!
Proietti, take your seat.
Please. - Let's go. - Excuse me.
Are you ready?
Go!
Here. I got on here.
Please, Proietti, stop!
Come. Try to remember where you sat.
Okay. I was sitting... here. - Are you sure?
Absolutely. Here is where I sat.
Okay. You take notes on everything?
Excuse me, sir. Your name, please?
Gaudenzi. - Thank you.
I got on here.
This is where I got on.
Here.
Me too...
Okay. You can take a seat. Go on.
Let's see. Here no... here no...
Here. I was sitting here. - Sit down, please.
No. I remember you sat there.
Here! - So sit there! You can go, Mr. Proietti!
Excuse me. Your name, please?
Here, Detective. - Yes?
Monica and I got on at this stop.
Proietti, wait! And where did you sit?
Right over there.
Where?
Here. Monica sat down there
next to the window...
And I sat there on her right. - Sit down.
Morini, do me a favour, sit next to Mr. Rovetti.
No problem. May I...? - Where the girl was.
So! You were all here, and nobody remembers anything?
Not even you, Magli?
The tram was half-empty. You could see the girl perfectly from here.
I already told you we don't have to watch the passengers all the time.
Besides I get distracted. - Alright.
Can't you at least try to remember if you were alone?
Detective! - Yes!
Can I say something? - Of course. Please...
Well, I think I saw an other man standing there.
A big guy in a dark raincoat,
standing right over there, in the first half of the tram.
No, no, no. - Why not?
He was further back, I remember him, too. - Right.
No, he was in the front!
I remember thinking "Why's he wearing a raincoat
if it hasn't rained in fifteen days."
Well try to remember where he got off!
Oh... no. - No, that I can't remember.
Inspector! - Yes.
I don't remember that man. But I do remember,
a young couple, way up front, right behind the driver.
No, it's not true.
Ah! Not like I'm senile! I remember perfectly.
Thank you.
Now, everybody listen because I'm about to say something important.
You keep taking notes!
Now, I want all of you to get off
exactly where you got off last night. After which you're free to go home.
And I thank you for your kind collaboration. Proietti,
we're going! - Alright.
Detective! I got off here. - Okay, thank you, you can go.
Detective! - Yes.
This was my stop - Proietti!
Let me help you. Thank you and goodbye.
This is where I got off...
Proietti! Stop! Goodbye then. - Goodbye.
Good bye. - Good bye.
What a bummer. None of the passengers who got off
at the last stop showed up
Excuse me, Detective! - Yes.
I heard what you said. - Go on.
Actually, when I got off, the only person left was Monica.
You never told us that!
I didn't think it was important.
Of course it's important! Are you sure?
Absolutely. Only Monica, and the collector.
Can I go? - Sure, sure!
Good bye. - Bye.
What have I got to do with it?
What are you looking at me like that for?
Why are you looking at me?
What in the world are you thinking?
I've nothing to do with it! Nothing!
If anything happened, Proietti would have noticed.
He would have heard!
You think so?
Yes !
And I believe you!
Okay. Proietti!
Yes? - Where did Rovetti say he was sitting?
Here, or there?
I don't know?
What do you mean, you don't know? What about your mirror?
I only see this row, I'm just checking the doors.
So you can't see this row? - No, nothing.
And you can't see Magli either?
No, Magli no.
Magli, if Proietti is driving, how can he know what goes on in the back?
Well, sometimes...
Yes, go on?
But I
don't think... - Yes? Go on.
I don't think that in that case...
What case?
In the case that... that... that you're...
Magli, we're gonna go have a little chat now.
You see, you are the only person who could have killed her.
You had the time between two stops to get ready,
and kill that poor girl.
Two Stops means about two minutes and twenty seconds.
We've checked it.
That's more than enough, isn't it?
One stab behind the neck. It's quick, it causes death to the spot.
The victim didn't have even time to scream.
But why would I do it?
Exactly, why would you? Did you know her?
Not really. Just as someone who's on the tram every night.
Did you like her?
Well, she was really pretty.
So you liked her! - I told you, she was pretty, I'm not saying...
Okay, you liked her... And you must have hit on her too, right?
Hit on her?
Oh, maybe once or twice.
You asked her out once, didn't you?
No, never!
To the movies, maybe? That's not a crime
And she turned you down, huh?
Yes - And that bummed you out.
Well, a little. Yeah it did.
And one could say, you got angry. - No, not angry.
Yeah, you got angry, and you had another go at it.
Just once.
Right, and then that night, you went a little further. - No!
She got annoyed... - What do you say?
...and threatened to file a complaint to the tram company!
No, no.
Magli! Read that!
Courtesy of your company.
It's a letter from Monica, written two weeks ago.
Go ahead, read it.
What do you say buddy?
It says a collector on tram 14 often bothers her.
Doesn't say who, but we know, don't we?
She was real cute though, huh? A real doll.
But she loathed him. Didn't she loath you?
Stop that! Stop damn it! - But you lost your head,
and you went too far, isn't that so? - No, no!
You pulled out the knife... - No, no! No, no, no!
This
is yours.
We found it in your locker.
That's just... for self-defense. If someone wants to rob me...
Well, what do you know?
And why does the coroner's report fit the shape of this knife
to the wound? Why?
It's a standard size. There's tons like that, all the same. You know that!
Oh sure, I know!
I also know you used this one to stab that girl in the neck! - No!
Like that! - NO! NO!
Calm down.
Thus, gentlemen of the court,
for the reasons stated herein,
I beg, on my client's behalf,
that due understanding and mercy be granted!
Mercy?
Mercy... - What mercy! There's no mercy!
But I'm...! Understanding? I am innocent!
I excuse for him, gentlemen! - I want justice!
I want justice!
Why can't you understand I'm innocent?
Please try to understand!
You weasel!
Damn you, you weasel. You're making me do 30 years!
30 years!
And you know I'm innocent!
You know that, you damned weasel!
No, no, no! Not 30 years. No! No! No!
I'm innocent, innocent, innocent! Can't you understand?
Innocent, innocent, innocent! But I'm innocent,
innocent, innocent, I'm innocent!
Hello- - Hi.
So? How'd it go? Aren't you going to tell me?
Well?
Luigi Berio, we haven't found him.
Not even his family knows where he is.
His wife suspects he's gone off with a lover.
Carlo Rossi. Says he's busy, and wants us to stop bothering.
He has a record. - What for?
This evening I'll know it.
Gulia. You know what?
Maybe Magli didn't do it after all.
I fell for it big time.
Yes. I must have missed something.
I don't know what, but there must be some obvious detail,
that I just didn't notice.
A little cooperation, no?
Look, Detective, I'm busy, I've got things to do.
I could come tomorrow morning. Isn't it all the same?
No, no, it's not.
Well, then I can't. Sorry. - Right.
Detective! - Yeah!
Want a cookie? - Thank you.
Ma'am? This isn't official business It's confidential, and it's about
saving that poor boy from going to prison, you understand?
Of course, Detective, tell me.
Okay, you'd just have to repeat that trip
in the tram tonight.
On a friendly basis, of course.
But I have a very sick patient
to watch over all night, he's got to take four injections.
Of course I'd come. But they've changed my shift at the factory.
I work till four.
I could tomorrow.
Listen, Rovetti, it's important.
It's just an idea. A new test, but it could change everything.
I understand. It's just that I really can't.
Hello. Gulia... What are you doing tonight?
What time does this train come? - About ten past one.
Are you scared? - No.
I'm sorry I got you involved. But I just wanted to do
this for myself, without a lot of publicity.
Under the same conditions it really happened.
Sit over there.
My job's good then.
I'm a baker.
Up all night baking bread.
But tonight, I told the boss:
"if I sneeze into the flour, the whole neighbourhood will get the flu!"
So he sent me home.
This life we lead,
you work the whole night, and you sleep in the morning.
You've two choices:
Either you don't get married,
or, if you do, you're screwed.
And what did you do?
Oh, I'm screwed!
I've got it!
I know how e did it.
Gillian!
At the next Stop, get under the seat, and don't move,
until the tram's at the storage.
I'm sure.
He stabbed her here, in front of everyone.
Look. This is how.
The tram's bending for the curve.
The collector can't see us over here.
The moment it goes over the shifts, the light goes off for a couple of seconds.
When it comes back on,
there's still a few seconds, until the curve is over,
and the collector can see this half of the tram.
Now!
That's the detail I was missing.
The detail I haven't seen.
Gillian, when I grab your shoulder, get under the seat and stay there,
until the tram's at the storage.
I'll come get you.
Go!
Fourteen seconds. That's more than enough.
And you know what?
I also know who did it.
Franco?
Is that you?
Answer me!
What did he find out?
I don't know, I don't know...
I swear, I don't know.
Stop! Stop!
You. Go the other way!
Try to block him!
It's a sad, sad story.
Rovetti, married, with children,
was Monica's lover.
Then Monica met someone else
and broke it off.
Marco begged, implored, threatened.
But when he saw it was going nowhere,
he lost it, and killed her.
And how did you figure out it was him?
Once I figured out how it was done,
only he, sitting next to her, could have done it.
Only, calling him tonight, I scared him.
He followed us.
He realized I'd understood the murder,
he panicked, and he intervened.
And so you used me for bait? - In a way, yes.
But not on purpose.
Just that he believed it completely.
So he had to get rid of the other witness too.
That is you.
But he acted a little stupidly. All he had to do...
See, murderers are never intelligent.
Cunning, quick, astute, ferocious, maybe.
But intelligent never.
The intelligent man simply doesn't take those kind of risks.
Only the silly criminal does.
There are intelligent criminals.
They own cars, villas, luxury.
Even seem like honest people.
They commit crimes.
But when we have a look at them, they show us their hands,
they are always clean, white, immaculate.